HYDERABAD: State government’s claim that it has created a record by launching free 24/7 power supply to agriculture sector on permanent basis has drawn flak from Congress and Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC).The Congress members on Monday said that providing round-the-clock power to agriculture sector would be detrimental to the interests of farming community in the long run as it would lead to groundwater depletion.
“Despite electricity department officials’ advice against providing 24/7 power to the agriculture sector, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has ensured that power be supplied to the farm sector round-the-clock. He is claiming it as new year’s gift to the farmers but such a step would do more harm than good to the farmers in the State as it would lead to exhaustion of groundwater across the State,” Congress leaders - Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, and M Kodanda Reddy, who is also the chairman of TPCC frontal wing Kisan and Khet Mazdoor Congress, claimed.
Stating that this was not an achievement of the State government as 24/7 power was being provided in many States across the country, TJAC chairman M Kodandaram wanted to know why the State government was showing much interest on providing continuous power to farm sector, instead of taking steps to fulfil its poll promises such as distribution of three acres of land to each Dalit family, filling of vacant posts in the government and other things.
“In fact, several new power generation projects have been generating power since 2015. This has facilitated many states including Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to have surplus power paving way for 24/7 power supply. Central Electricity Authority’s 2017-18 annual report clearly explains this,” he said.